Open Letters Monthly: Machete Kills

The original Machete was a "meh" movie. Paying homage to the exploitation-style "B" movies of the sixties and seventies, the action-packed film was a bit unique thanks to its Latino focus and casting, courtesy of creator Robert Rodriguez. While the original could only be called a modest success, the filmmakers of sequel Machete Kills have gone all out, expanding the cast, scope and budget. But does that mean you should take the time to check out the sequel to a movie that wasn't all that great to begin with?

The original Mexican vigilante returns to when the US government calls upon him to return to his native land. There, a revolutionary has built an advanced missile to launch against Washington D.C. unless his demands are met. Though he is devastated by a personal tragedy and uneasy about returning home, Machete Cortez finds himself in his element as he finds himself fighting also fighting against bounty hunters,  double agents, arms dealers, and every single bad guy back home.

Machete Kills is directed by Robert Rodriguez and stars Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Lady Gaga, Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jessica Alba, Demian Bichir, Mel Gibson and "Carlos Estevez" (Charlie Sheen).

Click here for the full review at Open Letters Monthly.

Open Letters Monthly: The Heat

It's a tale as old as cinema itself. Uptight, straight-laced officer of the law goes to city to solve a major crime and is paired up with an eccentric, potentially insane local officer. Personalities clash, but their shared dedication to the law rallies them into working together and saving the day. It's the formula for every buddy cop movie in existence. But those cops have never (to my knowledge) both been women, as is the case in Paul Feig's The Heat.

FBI agent Sarah Ashburn has been an exemplary investigator her entire career, but she's made a ton of enemies in her own department along the way. Fearing that she doesn't play well with others, her superiors send her to Boston to help break up a violent and brutal drug ring and discover the face of its mysterious leader. Once there, she finds herself working with Detective Shannon Mullins, a cop who regularly skirts the boundaries of legality in the pursuit of cleaning up her neighborhood. It soon becomes obvious that they cannot solve the case without the other. But can they survive one another long enough to collar the bad guys?

The Heat is directed by Paul Feig and stars Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Demian Bichir, Michael Rapaport, Marlon Wayans, Kaitlin Olson, Jane Curtin and Spoken Reasons.

Click here for the full review at Open Letters Monthly.

Movie Monday: A 'Savage' Review

This past weekend was all about The Amazing Spider-Man, but what if you've already seen the latest superhero film twice over between its Wednesday release and Saturday morning? What do you do then? As Todd and I discovered, the answer is certainly not to see Savages, the latest film by Wall Street and Platoon director Oliver Stone.

When Ben and Chon, co-owners of Los Angeles' best-run and least crime-ridden marijuana business, feel the pressure from Mexican Cartels who want to partner with their methods, they decide that they want to get out of the illegal drugs business. But the Cartel wants their expertise, and their leader, Elena Sanchez, has the pair's shared girlfriend O kidnapped as collateral to make sure the young men fall in line. When Ben and Chon instead decide to fight back and rescue their girl, the result is an orgy of violence and double crossing that involves rival cartels, Navy SEALS, and the Drug Enforcement Agency. Nothing will get between the pair and O, not even a well-armed militia intent on taking their heads.

Savages is directed by Oliver Stone and stars Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, Blake Lively, Salma Hayek, John Travolta, Demian Bichir and Benicio del Toro.

Click here for the full review on Open Letters Monthly.